Chandigarh: In a fresh war of words between Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the governor has warned the CM of action over the “breaking down of the law and order system” in view of the rampant use of drugs in the state with CM Mann hitting back saying that Punjab was ahead in terms of law and order as compared to BJP-ruled states.
In a recent letter written to CM Mann, Governor Purohit has claimed that he had received reports from various agencies with regard to the “rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab”. “It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops. A new trend is observed that they are being sold in government-controlled liquor vends.
The Narcotics Control Bureau and Chandigarh Police recently sealed 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana which were selling drugs,” the Punjab Governor wrote in the letter. The Governor also referred to a recent report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee whiuch he said had claimed that one in five people in Punjab is “exposed or addicted to drugs”.
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The Governor said that the facts “point out to the breaking down of the law and order system in Punjab so much so that now villagers have started protesting on the streets in large numbers and decided to set up their own village defence committees to protect themselves from drugs”. Purohit asked CM Mann to respond to his previous letters seeking his response over the subject.
He warned him to send a report to the President under Article 356 “about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 of the IPC”. CM Mann however hit back at the Governor's allegations saying that Purohit had “hunger for power”. Mann while addressing a presser on Saturday, said, “Governor sahib has a hunger to give orders. But it has to be based on the pro-people decisions as taken by us,” CM Mann said.
Over the Governor's claims of “breaking down of law and order” in Punjab, Mann said in terms of law and order, “Punjab is ahead of the BJP-ruled states”. The Punjab CM further accused the Governoer of being “biased” towards Punjab. “As the Governor of Punjab, Governor Saab never stood with Punjab. He favored Haryana on the issue of Punjab University. Farmers' dharna is going on, almost all the demands are related to the Centre. Why this discrimination,” Mann said.
With regard to the Governor Purohit's claims that his letters went unanswered by the CM office, Mann said, “Governor Saab sent 16 letters. We have given the answers to 9 of them. The answers to the rest are also ready and will send them all, but the 6 bills of the people of Punjab are pending due to signing. Tell us when you will sign them”.
